Communication in micro-planning
Challenges faced by Pakistan
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6 years of centre-based approach–different
micro-panning challenges
Year 2000 house-to-house posed new
challenges for micro-planning
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Pakistan 140 million population
Target of children under 5 not known at
village, ward level
Large geographical area
Communication in micro-planning
Challenges faced by Pakistan…(cont.)
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Ranging from highest mountains to deserts to
valleys and thousands of miles of beaches
Unmarked borders in many areas
Borders going through villages
Cross border un-checked travel
Large number of nomads travelling in and out
of country
Several mega cities with population ranging
from 7 – 12 million
High rise buildings with no/ poorly working
lifts
Communication in micro-planning
Challenges faced by Pakistan…(cont.)
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Large areas of slums in urban areas
Unplanned cities
Sparse/ scattered population in some
parts of the country
Other challenges for communication in
micro-planning:
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Not enough time for micro-planning &
communication of plans (less than two
months)
Communication in micro-planning
Challenges faced by Pakistan…(cont.)
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Little existing knowledge & experience of
micro-planning at grass root level
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No training in preparing micro-plans
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No training / experience of using assigned
area maps - polio team leaders
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Maps prepared by some one else
(vaccinators/ supervisors)
Communication in micro-planning
Challenges faced by Pakistan…(cont.)
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Polio teams receiving monetary
compensation for three days of campaign
– some coming on board on 1st. day of
campaign
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Number of teams limited due to
monetary implications
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Targets of children to be reached as per
micro-plans creating a tendency to focus
on numbers instead of ALL children
Communication / training responses for
addressing micro-planning issues
Fall Campaign 2000
 UAN facility at 54 locations – for
reporting if teams do not reach an area
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Publicity for UAN number through
TV/ Radio/ newspapers & print
material
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Special guidelines prepared &
disseminated for UAN monitoring
teams
Communication / training responses for
addressing micro-planning issues
Fall Campaign 2000 …. (cont.)
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Mosque announcement flyers for informing
parents about campaign & teams arrival in
the area
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Special cloth signs for identification of fixed
sites where parents could take children if
missed by a team
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75,000 special jackets for team leaders – for
easy identification
Communication / training responses for
addressing micro-planning issues
Fall Campaign 2000 …. (cont.)
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Alliance building meetings with NGOs , for
using UAN facility so teams reach each area
& support to polio teams
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Special live transmission on PTV, Radio
Pakistan and FM 100 – (key messages –
keep children at home for teams/ inform on
UAN if teams don’t come & go to fixed site
if children missed)
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Special plans for border areas & check
posts
Communication / training responses for
addressing micro-planning issues
Fall Campaign 2000 …. (cont.)
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Training plan & special material for 75,000
team leaders & several thousand
supervisors
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Special emphasis in training on covering
entire assigned area – every child especially slums, nomads in area & children
in brick kilns
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Motivation for making efforts to reach
every child – as a moral / national duty
Communication / training responses for
addressing micro-planning issues
Fall Campaign 2000 …. (cont.)
 Telecast of training video on
national TV for several days for
reaching missed teams members,
communities & families
Monitoring reports of
fall campaign 2000
identified following situation …
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Awareness high amongst parents – but
in many areas the teams did not reach
Fixed sites were too far, un-known and
un-identified so many parents did not
know where to take their missed
children for immunization
Monitoring reports of
fall campaign 2000
identified following situation … (cont.)
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3 day transmissions found very useful for
informing parents
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UAN worked well (except some minor
problems)
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Most team leaders were not trained
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Area maps were not available to many
teams
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Jackets received but many didn’t wear it
Monitoring reports of
fall campaign 2000
identified following situation … (cont.)
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Fixed sites cloth signs received but not
displayed
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In many areas posters not displayed/
material not distributed
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Majority mosques neither approached
nor announcement made
Analysis reveals possible causes …
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Lack of training created confusion about
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team responsibility in terms of area to be
covered
communication processes & motivation
messages for parents
role of fixed sites for covering missed
children
use of tallying sheet for recording missed
children
Analysis reveals possible causes …
(cont.)
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Pre-campaign communication
activities couldn’t take place as team
leaders were only active on campaign
days (3 paid working days)
• Inadequate understanding of
responsibility for supervision &
accountability in terms of training,
communication and coverage
Revised strategy for spring campaign
2001
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Orientation of 45,000 LHWs on
Programme Implementation and
Communication
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Orientation of 390,000 boy scouts on
mosque mobilization and
communication
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Printing of training booklet, posters,
mosque flyers, partners brochure
Revised strategy for spring campaign
2001 …. (cont.)
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3 day live TV, Radio and FM 100
transmission
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Briefing meetings for NGOs
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Regular media campaign, district
social mobilization funds made
available and UAN facility at 54
locations
Communication in Micro-planning
Recommendations
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Adequate planning time for
revisiting/ fine tuning &
communicating micro-plans before
each campaign
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Inclusion of social mobilization &
communication processes/
dissemination in micro-plans
Communication in Micro-planning
Recommendations …. (cont.)
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Training/ re-training to all levels on
micro-planning, preparations of maps
& interpretation
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Participation of all team leaders in
micro-planning & preparation of maps
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No untrained person to be allowed on
polio teams/centers
Communication in Micro-planning
Recommendations …. (cont.)
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Accountability/Recognition for microplanning
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Micro-plans to include coverage of special
populations like Nomads, Refugees, Beggars
etc.
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Put an end to the “numbers game”
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Development & implementation of effective
monitoring plan to ensure adherence to
micro-plans
Communication in Micro-planning
Recommendations …. (cont.)
• Don’t expect communication
& social mobilization to
overcome shortfalls in
effective micro-planning/
supervision/ monitoring